Gardening Like a Ninja – My First Book Illustration Gig!

I promised last week when I posted about my postcards book that I’d update you on everything else that has kept me working pretty much non-stop for the last 6 months. And I’m super-pleased to share my first non-coloring book illustration project with you – I did the watercolor illustrations for Gardening Like a Ninja: A Guide to Sneaking Delicious Edibles into Your Landscape!

I am beyond proud to be associated with this project. This is a freaking. gorgeous. book!!! It is written by my good friend Angela England, the brains behind the highly rated and successful book Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less), and incredibly well planned and informative. I learned SO MUCH just illustrating her brilliant landscape plans. She doesn’t just discuss plant selection, but helps you plan your own landscape plans using plants that are edible, beautiful, and that will transition well between all three growing seasons. And seriously – you will probably be blown away by the number of flowers that are edible. Case in point: this whole strip of 7 different stunning wildflowers including purple coneflowers (echinacea) & anise hyssop:

This was such a fun project for me for personal reasons as well. Last spring I became a certified master gardener through my local extension office, and wrapped up the class just one week before Coloring Flower Mandalas graced the front page of the Huffington Post. Suddenly my plans for a leisurely summer in my garden got put on the backburner as I instead spent the next 6 months in my cramped-but-cute office drawing Dreams and Oceans. My garden only grew weeds last year, so illustrating this book was the closest I got to doing any gardening in 2015!!!

By the way, if you love getting your hands dirty like me, Angela is offering an Gardening Like a Nina Edible Landscaping eCourse companion class to the book, with a significant discount on the cover price.

Happy gardening, everyone!! 🙂